Machine for dipping tobacco.



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.V

MACHINE Fos mesme TOBAQOQ.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1906.

Application filed June SO, 1965. Serial No. 267,739.

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that l, REGINALB Bruner, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Winston Salem, in the county of Forsyth and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and Improved Machine vfor Dipping Tobacco, ci" which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description.

The invention relates to a machine for dipping or submerging tobacco-for Verrani le, wrappers, iillers, or scrap-into a liqui or casing for the purpose of covering or iinpregnating the tobacco with the liquid.

The object of the invention is to simplify machines heretofore produced and to provide a reliable mechanism by which the tobacco may be submerged in the liquid and for withdrawing therefrom the superfluous liquid re moved from the tobacco and for producing the iinished, coated, or impregnated tobacco by a single operation. ln attaining this end I provide a vat or tank, in which is arranged a peculiarly-constructed drurn coacting with an endless apron, the apron receiving the tobacco troni a suitable feedhopper and running under the drum, so as to carry the tobacco into the liquid contained in the tank, after which the tobacco is carried from the tank b v the apron and passed with the apron through squeezing rollers or devices, whichY eliminate the superfluous liquid, the tobacco being discharged Jfrom the machine by a scraper or other suitable means coacting with the apron.

The invention resides in certain special features of construction and relative arrangement of parts, all of which will be fully set forth hereinafter', and pointedY out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, which represent the preferred ein# bodiment ci my invention, in which drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and in whiche-Y Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view, and Fie. 3 is a detail section showing the construction of the drinn.

10 indicates the tank or vat, which has an inlet-feed spout 11 (see 2) and a discharge-spout 12. (See Fig. 1.) The vat is open at its top and is boxed in at the sides by walls 14, which extend beyond the discharge end of the vat to the devices for Yremoving the superfluous liquid from the tobacco, as Will hereinafter fully appear.

At the receiving end of the vatthe ieedl1oppcr 15 is located, and this hopper is provided with a roll or other means 16 for gradually feeding the tobacco from the hopper. Revolubly mounted over the vat 1() is a horizontal shaft 1?, provided with a sprocket 18, carrying a chain 19, which'aiso passes over a sprocketV 20 on the shaft of the roll 16, whereby to drive the roll from the shaft 17. Said shaft 17 forms the axis of the before-referred-to drum, and said drinn comprises spokes 21, projecting from 'a hub 22, secured to the shaft Y17. Said spokes carry at their outer ends cross-bars 23, which sustain at each end an annuiar rirn 24. The rims 24 are connected to and spaced irorn each other by the cross-bars 23, and extending around the cross-bars between the rolls is a web 25 of reticulated material. Preferably this web is formed of woven-wire fabric. At the outer side of each rirn 24 is a eripheral Flange 26, the Yflanges projecting elvond the rinis, as shown in Fig. This construction forms, it will be observed, a drum having an annular cavity or groove extending around its outer Y surface.

2? indicates the apron, which coacts with the drinn. This apron is intended to run along the under side of the drinn engaging Ythenrirns 24 and held in proper position by Ythe flanges 26, said apron iorniing with the Ydrnrn, as Fig. 3 illustrates, an inciosure for tobacco, which Vinclosure holds the tobacco Vduring the dping operation and prevents the apron as the latter nreaches the'zdrnni The upper run oi' the apron 27 passes under the mouth oi the feed-hopper 16, over the vat 10, and under the Ydrum as described. Said run is sustained on rollers 29, which are so placedras'to hold the apron in its proper positionliliie lower run of the apron passes under Ythe vat and is carried on suitably- Ypiaced rollers 30.

Located at the discharge or right-hand end ofthe va-t {refer-ring to Fig. 1) is a roll 3l the axis 32 of which is suitably mounted in a framing This axle is provided with a rco" IOS

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bandpulley 34 or other means for imparting driving movement to the machine. The apron 27 passes around the roll 31 and is driven thereby, and said apron serves to impart turning movement to the drum and to the shaft 17. Above the roll 31 and bearing down on the apron as it passes over said roll is a pressing-roll 35, which is provided with tension devices 36 for regulating the pressure of the roll, and which may, if desired, be fitted. with a rubber or other elastic covering to prevent crushing the tobacco. As the apron leaves the drum it carries the tobacco from the same and passes it between the pressing-rolls 31 and 35, thus extruding the superlous li( uid, this liquid falling into a trough 37, which discharges back into the vat 10.

33 indicates a scraper for collecting the finished tobacco Jfrom the apron after it leaves the roll 31, and 39 indicates a fluted roll Which is adapted to revolve above the scraper to prevent the accumulation of the tobacco thereon. The roll 39 is driven by a chain 4U, running over sprockets 41 and 42, respectively, on the axles of the rolls 39 and 35. The nished tobacco is discharged from the scraper 33.

43 indicates a drip-pan which is placed in the lower part of the frame 33 to catch any of the li uid which may cling to the apron 27 after t e same leaves the roll 31.

In the organized operation of the machine the parts are set in motion through the axle 32 and band-wheel 34 or other means which may be provided for that purpose, and the tobacco to be dipped is charged into the hopper 15. The roll 16 serves to spread the tobacco out evenly on the apron, and the apron traveling as indicated by the arrow in the drawings carries the tobacco under the drum and into the liquid contained in the vat. Here the tobacco is dipped or impregnated with the liquid andthe apron on leaving the drum carries the tobacco away from the same between the pressing-rolls. As the tobacco and apron pass between these rolls the superfluous liquid is removed and the scraper 33, operating in conjunction with the roll 39, removes the tobacco from the apron. The liquid squeezed out from the tobacco flows back into the vat through the trough 37 and such liquid as may drip from the apron after it passes the pressing-rolls is collected in the pan 43.

Having thus described the preferred form of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for dipping tobacco the combination of a vat, a drum having annular rims spaced apart from each other to form flanges and mounted over the vat, and an endless apron having one of its runs passing into the vat beneath the drum and coacting with the flanges thereof.

2. In a machine for dipping tobacco the combination of a vat, a drum having annular rims spaced apart from each other to form flanges and mounted over the vat, an endless apron having one of its runs passing into the vat beneath the drum and coacting with the flanges thereof, means at one end of the machine for delivering the tobacco to the apron, and pressing-rollers at the other end of the machine through which the apron and the tobacco pass to extrude the superfluous liquid.

3. In a machine for dipping tobacco the combination of a vat, a drum having annular rims spaced apart from each other to form flanges and. mounted over the vat, an endless apron having one of its runs passing into the vat beneath the drum and coacting with the l flanges thereof, the lower run of the apron passing under the vat, feeding means at one end of the machine for delivering tobacco to the apron, and pressing means at the other end of the machine for extruding the superfluous liquid from the tobacco.

4. In a machine for dipping tobacco the combination of a vat, a drum having annular rims spaced apart from each other to form flanges and mounted over the vat, an endless apron having one of its runs passing into the vat beneath the drum and coacting with the flanges thereof, a feed-hopper located at one end of the machine over the said run of the apron and discharging thc tobacco therein, and means at the other end of the machine for extruding the superfluous liquid from the tobacco.

5. In a machine for dipping tobacco the combination of a vat, a drum having annular rims spaced apart from each other to form flanges and mounted over the vat, an endless apron having one of its runs passing into the vat beneath the drum and coacting with the flanges thereof, a feed-hopper located at one end of the machine over the said run and discharging the tobacco thereon, and means at the other end of the machine for extruding the superfluous liquid comprising two vertical rollers between which the apron and tobacco pass.

6. In a machine for dipping tobacco, the combination of a vat, a drum operating therein, an endless apron having one run ada ted to move into the vat under the drum, a Veedhopper located at one end of the machine over the said run of the apron and discharging the tobacco thereon, a means at the other end of the machine for extruding the superfluous liquid from the tobacco, and means for removing the tobacco from the apron after the operation of said means for eXtruding the superHuous liquid.

7. In a machine for dipping tobacco, the combination of a vat, a drum operating therein, an endless apron having one run ada ted to move into the vat under the drum, a eed- IOO hopper located at one end of the machine over the said run of the apron and discharging the tobacco thereon, a ineens at the other end of the machine for extruding the superfluous liquid from the tobacco, menne for removing the tobacco from the apron after the operation of said means for extruding the superiinous liquid, and a scraper coacting with the apron and serving to remove the tobacco hioni the apron after the operation of said mea-ne for extruding the superfiuous liquid.

8. In e.. machine for dipping tobacco, the combination of evat, a drum operating therein, an apron adapted to run under the drum into the vat, a means at one end of the inachine for feeding the tobacco onto the apron, e means at the other end of the machine for extruding Ythe superfiuous iiquid from the tobacco, and means for removing the tobacco from the apron 9. In a machine for dipping tobacco the combination of a vat for containing liquid, means for moving the tobacco through the vat, means whereby to form an inclosed passage-way for the tobacco through the liquid in the vet, means for feeding the tobacco to said moving means, and means for pressing the superfluous liquid from the tobacco.

10. In e machine for dipping tobacco, the combination with a vat for containing liquid, of means for moving tobacco through the vet, means wherein to form an inclosed passageway for the tobacco through the liquid in the vat, a feeding mee-ns located at the receiving end of the machine, pressing-rollers at the discharge end of the machine, and ineens wherebyv said rollers mar operate the feeding means and the moving means.

Il. In a machine for dipping tobacco, the combination of'a vat, e drum operating therein, en endless apron adapted to run into the vat under the drum, pressing-rolls at the discharge end of the machine bet-Ween which relie the apron and tobacco pass to extrude the superfluous liquid from the tobacco, said rolls driving the said apron and the aprondriring the drinn, e. feeding means ieeated at the receiving end of themaehine and including a movin r part, devices for driving said moving parts fiom said drum, a scraper adapted to remove the tobacco from the apron after it passes said pressing-rolls, a device eoecting with the scraper to remove the tobacco from the same, and means for driving the iastnarned device from said pressing-rolls.

12. In a machine for Clipping tobacco, the combination of a vat, adruin operating therein and having an annular cavityT or groove extending around its periphery, and a tobacco-carrying apron adapted to run into the vat under the drum, the apron engaging the face of the drum to form with said groove or cevityY an inclosure for the tobacco.

13. In a machine for dipping tobacco, the

combination of avat, a drum operating therein and having an annuler cavity or groove extending around its periphery, and a tobecco-carrying apron adapted to run into the vat under the drum, the apron engaging the of the drum to :form with said groove or cavity en ineioeure for the tobacco, the faire of the drum having a reticulated web to permit the circulation of the liquid into said inclosure, for the purpose specified.

14. In a machine for dipping tobacco, the combination of a vat, adrum operating therein and having an annular cavity orgroove extending around its periphery, a tobaccocerrying apron adapted to run into the vat under the drum, the apron engaging the fece of the drum to form with said groove or eavity an inclosnre for the tobacco, and a paddle carried hy the drum and extending across said groove or cavity.

15. In a machine for dipping tobacco, the combination of a vat, a drum operating therein and having an annular cavity or groove extending around its periphery, a tobaccocarrying apron adapted to run into the vat under the drum, the apron engaging the face of the drum to forni with said groove or cavity an inclosure for the tobacco, and a paddle carried by the drum and extending across said groove or cavity, the paddle lying in a plane eesentialljyY tangential to the drum to avoid picking up the tobacco from the apron,

i6. A machine for dipping tobacco, comprisin '1* e vat, a drum operating therein, said driiniiaving annular rims spaced from each other to forni a groove or ineiosnre around the face of the drum, and also having e. reticulated web extending between said rims at the inner periphcries thereof, and en apron Vadapted to run into the vat under the drum andrengaging said rims to forni with the drum an inciosure for the tobacco.

l?. A machine for dipping tobacco, coniprising a vat, a drum operating therein, said drum having annular rims spaced from each other to form a groove or inclosure around the face of the drum, and also ln ving a reticulated web extending between said rims at the inner pcripheries thereof, an apron adapted to run into the vat under the drum and engaging said rims to form with the drum an inolosure for the tobacco, and peripheral flanges projecting from the outer sides of the rims between whichanges the apron runs wherein;Y to hold the apron in engagement with the drum.

In testinionywhereof I have signed my name to this. specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

REGINALD BAIL-EY.

Witnesses:

M. I). BAILEY, Jr., W. E. FRANKLIN.

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